On March 31, 1962 a tornado roared through Milton Florida killing 17 people, injuring 80, and demolishing 130 homes. The picture above, taken about 30 days after the storm, shows the path of the storm from College Park, (upper right) a subdivision, up the hill across the Hudson family homes (center, see detail below)
Braxson Hudson owned a couple of acres of land in this Milton suburb and gave several of his daughters lots. He built a small trailer park and had a rental home on the property also. Bryant and Lois Lay built a small home that was sold to Lucille's daughter Janice and her husband Sandy Harter. Billie and Lorraine Kingry built a home and at the time of the tornado had it rented because they were away in the Air Force. Lillian and Jim Pleasant and Ernest and Lucille had homes built also.
The tornado first touched down in College Park destroying several homes.....
.....as it came up the hill it first struck Braxson Hudson's trailer park. The trailers exploded like bombs and all were completely destroyed. Amazingly every person that lived in those trailers was gone at 9:05 AM when the storm struck.
At the same time it struck the Kingry home tearing off the roof, the occupants had a few injuries, none serious.
Kingry home front
Kingry home rear
Gulf Power had built a microwave tower across the street from the Stangeland home and it fell across the bedroom area. The roof over the porch was torn off but the house survived and was rebuilt, there were no injuries.
Stangeland home, worker dismantling the microwave tower
Stangeland home front
Stangeland home rear
Next the Harter home was struck. The storm picked it up, floated it in the air making several revolutions, and set down gently on the foundation of a home that was completely destroyed about a 100 yards away. Janice, Sandy, and their daughter Lynette were inside but were unharmed. The foundation pier in the photo was where it originally stood.
Janice & Sandy Harter's home
The last of the Hudson family homes struck was the Jim and Lillian Pleasant home. They were very lucky to have survived because it was almost completely destroyed. Fortunately they went into the bedroom and it was the only room left intact.
Jim and Lillian Pleasant home
Jim and Lillian Pleasant home
Jim and Lillian Pleasant home
Jim and Lillian Pleasant home
Articles about the tornado published in 1962
Article about the tornado published in the Pensacola News-Journal in 1992
Article about the tornado published in the Miami Herald in 1992